Cow’s milk protein could help save preemies’ lives

Oct. 16, 2009 - - A protein from cow’s milk could reduce by about two-thirds the rate of serious blood infections in babies born weighing less than 3.3 pounds. That is the conclusion of a study published in the October 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study found that when these tiny newborns were given a daily dose of the milk protein lactoferrin along with probiotic bacteria during the first weeks of life, incidence of the blood infection sepsis dropped dramatically. Prevention of sepsis in neonates can be achieved through supplementation of a simple, easily available, cost-effective intervention that is well-tolerated and may be implemented in all settings, including Third World [countries],” said study author Dr. Paolo Manzoni, a neonatologist at St. Anna Hospital in Torino, Italy.